Studios, including Disney, adopt ‘Digital HD’ and ‘Digital’ in home entertainment sellthrough branding
Home entertainment studios Oct. 30 adopted new terminology — Digital HD and Digital — to refer to digital versions of filmed entertainment and television content across all consumer communication and packaging.
The branding is designed to enhance the value of digital home entertainment offerings and brings consistency to the way digital products are marketed to consumers, according to DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, the home entertainment trade group.
The new branding — starting this month — will appear on physical packaging, digital downloads, advertising, social media outreach, publicity and merchandising. It will also complement the UltraViolet brand in market for those studios participating.
“Digital HD (or Digital) is a dynamic and direct approach aimed at consumers who want movies and television shows that they can access on their favorite devices,” Amy Jo Smith, president of DEG, said in a statement. “Whether they access the Digital HD version as part of a Blu-ray purchase or as transaction through a digital store, we believe this terminology will help them understand they are getting an exciting, versatile product that heightens their home entertainment experience.”
The new terminology will be found on new-release titles from all participating studios, including Blu-ray combo packs, which allow consumers to own both the physical and digital versions of a film or TV show. Combining physical and digital into one purchase offers consumers the best possible value for collecting entertainment, as well as the flexibility to enjoy it at home or on the go.
In addition to physical products, such as Blu-ray combo packs, the new Digital HD and Digital branding can also be applied to movie and TV content (with the UltraViolet logo where applicable) purchased via digital stores.
Consumers who purchase a Blu-ray Disc, DVD or Digital/Digital HD product with the UltraViolet logo will have the added option of streaming or downloading their content to UltraViolet-compatible devices across a variety of participating partners. UV-enabled digital stores include CinemaNow, Flixster, Target Ticket, Vudu and FlixFling.
Studios adopting the terminology on their products include Anchor Bay Entertainment, HBO Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
During a financial call Oct. 29, Ann Daly, chief operating officer for DreamWorks Animation, said that the early Digital HD release of The Croods Sept. 17 generated 15% more electronic sellthrough revenue than either Rise of the Guardians or Madagascar 3, and “more than any other DreamWorks film at this point in its release.”Turbo also saw an early digital release Oct. 22, and “in its first week of release, Turbo's box office to digital unit conversion is ourhighest ever, outperforming titles such as Madagascar 3, Rise of the Guardians and The Croods,” Daly said.“Fox has been aggressive in promoting and developing the electronic sellthrough portion of their business,” she said, adding that big box retailers have been supportive through their own digital outlets. “We supported their strategy of releasing these titles early and it was a two-week window before the physical product was available in the stores. … It is having a positive effect on our overall business. I think it's a combination of that exclusive window, which is giving consumers, particularly families, a focused moment to consider a digital purchase.”